Caron Butler Exercises $1.5M Player Option With Kings

[Semi]

Didn't see this posted yet...

http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/242298/Caron-Butler-Exercises-$15M-Player-Option-With-Kings

I for one am happy to have him back. He made the most out of the little playing time he was given last year and we already know he's a great locker room guy to have.

 

[funkykingston]

Cousins/Koufos
Cauley-Stein
Gay/Casspi/Butler
McLemore/Belinelli
Collison

Those are the nine Kings now currently under contract for next season.

 

[LA King Fan II]

If Richard Jefferson can do it so can Caron....

Jefferson spent his summer playing Beach Volleyball to get in great shape. Hope to see Caron around this summer.

 

[Gilles]

Well, it actually looks like a decent endorsement of the new setup by quite respected veteran as I'm sure, that Caron would've found $1.5M on this year's market, if he didn't like the employer.

 

[One and Done]

Can't hurt. On the end of the bench, I'd rather have a vet leader like Caron vs. an undrafted rookie or scrap heap journeyman.

 

[The_Jamal]

Well, it actually looks like a decent endorsement of the new setup by quite respected veteran as I'm sure, that Caron would've found $1.5M on this year's market, if he didn't like the employer.

eh, maybe. Or his agent poked around and told him he had little to no interest. Hard to believe if a RJ with the Cavs type of role was out there that he wouldn't go at least go test the market.

Regardless, good to have him back. Important to have 10-12th, men players like him.

 

[biltalent]

Good news! Costs us 1.5 mil in cap space but considering the reports how healthy he was to the lockerroom and that he finished 5th in teammate of the year voting makes up for it.

Cousins/Koufos
Cauley-Stein
Gay/Casspi/Butler
McLemore/Belinelli
Collison

Those are the nine Kings now currently under contract for next season.

Seems like we are pretty set at C, PF and SF (barring trades). Maybe you could add a stretch 4 but not a high priority. Focus should really be on finally fixing the guard spots. Because neither Mclemore or Belinelli can be relied on to start, a starting SG should probably be the main focus of free agency. If we don't bring back Rondo another vet backup PG that could start a few games here and there is needed as well.

looking at realistic FA additions that have ties to the team:
back up PG: Mario Chalmers (played for Joerger) ? Beno Udrih (played for Joerger/Sac) ? Seth Curry (played for Kings) ?
starting SG: Courtney Lee (played for Joerger) ?
depth SF: Matt Barnes (is from Sac) ?
depth PF: Ryan Anderson (is from Sac) ? Acy (played for Sac) ?
depth C: Guidaitis (drafted) ?

 

[ockingsfan]

Caron is the type of smart, solid veteran that Joeger will find some playing time for, unlike Karl.

Even if it is only 10 minutes per game, Joeger will have a set rotation and the players will know their role.

 

[Gilles]

Good news! Costs us 1.5 mil in cap space but considering the reports how healthy he was to the lockerroom and that he finished 5th in teammate of the year voting makes up for it.



Seems like we are pretty set at C, PF and SF (barring trades). Maybe you could add a stretch 4 but not a high priority. Focus should really be on finally fixing the guard spots. Because neither Mclemore or Belinelli can be relied on to start, a starting SG should probably be the main focus of free agency. If we don't bring back Rondo another vet backup PG that could start a few games here and there is needed as well.

looking at realistic FA additions that have ties to the team:
back up PG: Mario Chalmers (played for Joerger) ? Beno Udrih (played for Joerger/Sac) ? Seth Curry (played for Kings) ?
starting SG: Courtney Lee (played for Joerger) ?
depth SF: Matt Barnes (is from Sac) ?
depth PF: Ryan Anderson (is from Sac) ? Acy (played for Sac) ?
depth C: Guidaitis (drafted) ?

Given the presence of cap holds cap cost is under $1M actually

 

[bajaden]

Cousins/Koufos
Cauley-Stein
Gay/Casspi/Butler
McLemore/Belinelli
Collison

Those are the nine Kings now currently under contract for next season.

Now that it's settled, that means the Kings, with the cap now reported to be at 94 mil, will have $32,350,791.00 in capspace. That's not counting any cap holds. The only cap hold I can think of is Curry's. So we certainly have enough money to make some changes. Should be interesting to see how expensive players are going to be. Mark Cuban doesn't think owners are going to go nuts with the new found money. I hope sanity prevails. Probably not!

 

[Capt. Factorial]

Given the presence of cap holds cap cost is under $1M actually

I'm not sure about this. He IS on a minimum salary contract, and the league reimburses teams for the difference between the two-year minimum and the veteran minimum - for one year contracts. Caron's deal was 1+1, so I'm not sure that gets reimbursed/reduced under the cap.

 

[Gilles]

I think, the idea is that team salary must fit under the cap, so league help in paying minimum for older players has no effect in this case.

 

[ockingsfan]

Caron opting IN also is an endorsement of DMC (and Joeger).

If players didn't like playing with DMC, it would have been easy for Caron to opt-out and get the same or better league minimum deal anywhere else.

 

[EIM86]

His legs should be as fresh as they can be since he pretty much didn't play at all last year.

 

[funkykingston]

Now that it's settled, that means the Kings, with the cap now reported to be at 94 mil, will have $32,350,791.00 in capspace. That's not counting any cap holds. The only cap hold I can think of is Curry's. So we certainly have enough money to make some changes. Should be interesting to see how expensive players are going to be. Mark Cuban doesn't think owners are going to go nuts with the new found money. I hope sanity prevails. Probably not!

My numbers are pretty close to yours. Counting the dead money for Wayne Ellington I show the Kings having $63,733,301 allocated which gives them $30,266,699 in cap room. But if they keep the 8th pick they'll also have a hold equal to 100% of the rookie wage scale for that slot which is $2,451,200. Rookies almost always sign for the maximum allowed 120% of their rookie wage but I'm pretty sure the 100% figure is used for salary cap purposes. So that gives the Kings $27,815,499 in cap room.

I'm not thrilled with this year's free agent class but that's possibly enough for one starter/difference maker and then either a low level starter, a solid bench player or two minor players. Once the cap room is spent the Kings could also use the room exception for one last player and then a minimum contract or two to fill out the roster.

 

[pdxKingsFan]

Maybe he just wants the money, and in that case it wouldn't kill us to waive him down the road... but he was brought here to bring some intangibles rather than major playing time and from allegedly demanding a trade to exercising an option this does seem like an endorsement of the new direction. Therefore I give this a thumbs up.

 

[funkykingston]

Maybe he just wants the money, and in that case it wouldn't kill us to waive him down the road... but he was brought here to bring some intangibles rather than major playing time and from allegedly demanding a trade to exercising an option this does seem like an endorsement of the new direction. Therefore I give this a thumbs up.

Caron said at the end of the Kings season that his decision of whether or not to return to the Kings hinged on who the new coach was. He seemed to be wanting Del Negro but if we take him at his word he's apparently happy with Joerger as the new coach.

 

[VF21]

MOD NOTE: I split funkykingston's post about his ideas for an off-season fix into its own thread in the Personnel Moves forum.

 

[ParniValjak]

Have to say I am a bit surprised by this as I expected him to opt out after a nightmare season. Having said that I am very pleased that he has stuck around. It provides us a great locker room veteran that the players and coaches respect who has been there and done that. It is also an endorsement of the new coaching group and the direction the team is heading in as I am pretty sure that Caron himself said his decision will be based on who the new coach of the team was.

Looks like coach Joerger has left and impression with Caron.

 

[kingsboi]

I'll gladly welcome him back for another season, let his positive spirit and talk be an inspiration to the team if anything else.

 

[Section 101]

Or he could sense that Rudy will be traded and will get a shot at playing time.

 

[IfAt1st]

I thought Caron was mostly playing SG...?

 

[nebs]

I'm glad he opted in as I like the dude and think he can still add more than what he was last year but I get the feeling no one around the league really wants him at this point in his career. Hell we even told him we would trade him last year per his wishes and then couldn't even give him away to his hometown team. Anyway like I said I'm glad he's back.

 

[Sac.1989]

very happy with this, not sure if there is a need to add someone like barnes now but still worth exploring

 

[KingsFanGER]

I don't think he can give us quality minutes at this stage of his career. And I think the whole leadership thing gets way overblown. We are not a young team anymore trying to find the way in the league. Our star is in his prime, our PG's and SF's are veterans. All the so called championship experience and veteran leadership couldn't prevent an epic meltdown last season. I personally would prefer young players with some upside to round out the roster, because we are short on talent and need to find some overlooked diamonds in the rough to improve the roster.
Therefore I'm not all that happy, that Butler opted in and Curry and Acy opted out.

 

[Semi]

I don't think he can give us quality minutes at this stage of his career. And I think the whole leadership thing gets way overblown. We are not a young team anymore trying to find the way in the league. Our star is in his prime, our PG's and SF's are veterans. All the so called championship experience and veteran leadership couldn't prevent an epic meltdown last season. I personally would prefer young players with some upside to round out the roster, because we are short on talent and need to find some overlooked diamonds in the rough to improve the roster.
Therefore I'm not all that happy, that Butler opted in and Curry and Acy opted out.

He gave us quality minutes when he was on the court last year. What makes you think he can't do that again? No one is expecting him to be a difference maker. We just want someone who can come in on occasion and not make mistakes and be a team player. We want someone who can be a positive influence in the locker room. Caron Butler checks both those boxes and at 1.5M no less. I also don't think it's fair to say that Caron's locker room presence is overrated cause of what happened last season. No amount of good guys was going to derail the Karl train of dysfunction.

 

[KingsFanGER]

He gave us quality minutes when he was on the court last year. What makes you think he can't do that again? No one is expecting him to be a difference maker. We just want someone who can come in on occasion and not make mistakes and be a team player. We want someone who can be a positive influence in the locker room. Caron Butler checks both those boxes and at 1.5M no less. I also don't think it's fair to say that Caron's locker room presence is overrated cause of what happened last season. No amount of good guys was going to derail the Karl train of dysfunction.

It's not about Caron Butlers locker room presence. It's about the general concept, that you need veterans in order to have a stable and hard working locker room. I don't believe in this concept. I believe groups of individuals work best, when there is a bonding between the members, which is easiest to achieve, when they are of a roughly similar age. So in general the talk about the so called veteran locker room guys is nice for the media, but may be not that beneficial as most fans and journalist think it is (I feel it's the same like those overrated phrases about "being the first guy in the gym and the last one to leave". If every player that uses this phrase would actually live it, there would be a line in front of the gym in the morning fighting for the pole position to get in ). And like I said - we are not a young team anymore.
Hitting a few jumpshots is not the same like giving quality minutes. Caron Butler is an aging offensive minded player. We on the other hand desperately need defense and to play good defense you need good defenders, because team defense won't get the job done all the way.
I never was on the "blame Karl for everything"-train. Karl couldn't find minutes for Butler and most likely there was a reason for it, because Karl even played James Anderson over Butler. I can't say that this suprised me, because Butler wasn't good for Detroit in 2014/15 either.

 

[Semi]

It's not about Caron Butlers locker room presence. It's about the general concept, that you need veterans in order to have a stable and hard working locker room. I don't believe in this concept. I believe groups of individuals work best, when there is a bonding between the members, which is easiest to achieve, when they are of a roughly similar age. So in general the talk about the so called veteran locker room guys is nice for the media, but may be not that beneficial as most fans and journalist think it is (I feel it's the same like those overrated phrases about "being the first guy in the gym and the last one to leave". If every player that uses this phrase would actually live it, there would be a line in front of the gym in the morning fighting for the pole position to get in ). And like I said - we are not a young team anymore.
Hitting a few jumpshots is not the same like giving quality minutes. Caron Butler is an aging offensive minded player. We on the other hand desperately need defense and to play good defense you need good defenders, because team defense won't get the job done all the way.
I never was on the "blame Karl for everything"-train. Karl couldn't find minutes for Butler and most likely there was a reason for it, because Karl even played James Anderson over Butler. I can't say that this suprised me, because Butler wasn't good for Detroit in 2014/15 either.

I'm not saying you NEED guys like Caron in order to have a stable and hard working locker room but it can only help. I understand you don't believe in the concept of locker room guys but it's not just the media getting duped into it either. Players talk about it all the time. Are they lying? Vlade talks about it. Is Vlade lying? Whether or not you believe in it doesn't make it less real to those players, coaches and GMs who go out of their way to mention it. We are also talking about the last guy on the bench for 1.5M. Look at the other teams around the league and their 14th and 15th guys. If you are a team like the Kings who are looking to make a significant improvement in wins from last year, the last thing you are planning on doing is picking up young unproven talent. If you so happen to have one of those guys on your team they are unlikely to be on your bench during the season and instead trying to hone their skills in the D-League anyway. Bottom line is Caron picking up his option isn't going to hinder the Kings going forward in any way shape or form.